When people first taste Stone & Wood’s Pacific Ale (a nostalgic time for many of us), the common descriptor is “passionfruit” - and some are surprised to hear that there’s no actual fruit in the easy-drinking beer and that the passionfruit characters are all derived from the now iconic Galaxy hops. In 2019, however, seeing the word “passionfruit” attached to a beer generally means you can expect full-on tartness, as brewers now use fruit additions in sour beers for a tangy and refreshing hit with huge Passito aromas.
Murray’s Kick! straddles these two worlds. Open a tinnie and straight away there’s Passito in the air, as the sweet scent of passionfruit rushes out and fills your face. But don’t expect a punchy sour - take a sip and you’ll find a surprisingly smooth, light wheat ale. While the passionfruit is still there (from both the fruit and the aromatic hops), it’s light and fresh rather than tangy or punchy, and allows subtle bready flavours come to play before the whole thing finishes super clean. Huge aroma, huge drinkability.
Mick Wust
Published December 3, 2019 2019-12-03 00:00:00
